


In Your Heart Shall Burn

by Sacred



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/F, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-28
Updated: 2014-11-28
Packaged: 2018-02-27 07:01:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2683652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sacred/pseuds/Sacred
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the fifth anniversary of Lissana's death, Erza is late.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Your Heart Shall Burn

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pictureswithboxes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pictureswithboxes/gifts).



Erza felt the weariness down to her bones, the ache a joy to her having downed so many fierce enemies and proved her strength and the strength of her guild, her family. As she was walking towards the guild, she spotted Mirajane and Elfman bundled up a bit against the late winter chill, heading in the opposite direction. They didn't see her and she was in too much need of just parking her rear down to rest to stop and chat so she paid it no mind.

Until, that is, Gray reminded her just what day it was and all the injuries, all the exhaustion she had endured and exerted vanished, replaced by a guilt that enveloped her whole. She remembered her first few weeks in Fairy Tail, the nightmares, the fear. Mirajane would hold her, soothe the tears, drive away the terror, and promised that she would always be there for her. Their rivalry continued during the day, but when night fell the two would often be drawn towards one another, whispers mingling with magic as they talked long into the night. Mirajane was the crucible that burned away the weak person she had been and shown her what she could become.

Erza remembered when Lisanna died, the comfort she offered to Mira, the fourth kiss shared between them as she desperately tried to soothe. Days of holding, nights of whispered promises, the final punch Mirajane gave her and the first smile signaling her retirement from active missions rushing through Erza's mind as she strode towards the church, heart pumping, any weariness forgotten. She nods at Elfman passing by her, offering him a side hug and hears his deep voice as they hold onto one another tightly.

“She hasn't cried once today, just smiled.”

She nods again, meeting his gaze, her dark eyes blazing. “I understand. Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Take care of Mira, that's all,” Elfman replied, extricating himself and moving on with his sure footsteps.

“Always,” Erza said.

The church is in her field of view four minutes later, the slowly falling snow and lack of people giving it an ethereal glow.

She's at the door in under a minute, entering after taking a deep breath and equipping her most valued piece of metal, the ring perfectly fitting on her finger even after all these years.

Another candle lit, another year passed.

Mirajane closed her eyes for a moment and let the slight warmth given off by the five flames flickering just ahead enfold her body. It wasn't much but it reminded her of Lisanna, the barest whispers of warmth compared to the sunburst that was her beloved sibling. 

Opening her eyes, she smiled sadly, idly fingering the single ring she wore as jewelery, the band a simple silver and forged from the strongest set of armor she knew of. She offered a prayer for the soul of her sister, a prayer for the safe return of her most important person, and a prayer for forgiveness. She should have been faster, should have realized what would happen.

Like always when she voiced her worship, all her prayers revealed to her was silence.

Until a pair of arms wrapped around her from behind, arms she knew well.

“I'm so sorry,” seeped into her ear in the softest of whispers.

“Why should you be apologizing?”

“I saw you walking earlier and I didn't realize what the date was. I should have been home sooner, should have-”

A swift kiss cuts Erza off, a tight squeeze soon following as Mirajane turns around to fully look at her. “I thought I could face today with just Elfman. But then I thought Lisanna and he would be alright five years ago too. It just shows how foolish I really am. Devils don't get their prayers answered.”

“I'm here, safe and sound.”

“But she's not.”

“No, she's not but I like to think she's watching us right now, trying to get you to stop hiding behind that smile.”

“You always say you love my smiles.”

“Not when they're like this,” Erza replied, breaking apart from Mirajane to light a candle of her own. “I actually wish you'd yell at me. I deserve it.”

“What you deserve, dear, is to be with someone who can move on. Someone who can make you a better person, not a silly woman who can't let a dead person go, who can't stop thinking about what might have been.” Erza reaches out her right hand, feeling the liquid slowly sliding down both of her wife's cheeks.

“I'm with that person. What you feel should never be something to be ashamed about so please, Mira, just let it all out.”

Erza watches as the carefully composed, always cheerful, always with a kind word portrait of her soul-mate starts to unravel. The great heave of her chest, the tremors in her legs as she collapses, the mighty cry she gives out, the lashing out of her hand blowing out the candles, the last dying light of those flames illuminating the picture of Lisanna. She catches Mirajane, holds her close, body firm, lips whispering what comfort she can.

The darkness now surrounding them brings to mind a bedroom from just over a decade and a half ago, the positions reversed but the cries no less plaintive, no less soul-rending. But eventually they cease, Mirajane moving her head back a bit to look into Erza's eyes, the fire radiating from those dark pupils engulfing her. For the first time, Mira realizes just what the actions in that dark bedroom has delivered to her and she wipes at her eyes a bit before cupping the right side of Erza's face as she notices tears in her spouse's eyes too.

“Thanks.”

Erza nods, breaking apart a bit to motion towards the wisps of smoke from the candles. “Should we start lighting them?”

“No, let's just go home. There's an empty side of the bed that needs filling.”

They leave side by side, arms wrapped around another, Mirajane sparing a glance towards the sky and swears she can hear the softest of giggles before Erza presses her that much closer, the beats of their hearts drowning out the near total silence of the winter night.


End file.
